No. 16: Tosh Recommends...
Harry Smith, Tosh Talks on Dare Wright, and Les Sewing Sisters
Harry Smith is a 20th-century figure whom one becomes obsessed with his character/knowledge. An impossible personality who created the Folkways Records’ Anthology of American Folk Music and was a prominent experimental animator/filmmaker. The word “polymath” must have been invented for the likes of Harry Smith. A manic collector of music, books, art, paper airplanes, string games, and of course, Alister Crowley. Who at times said he was the son of the magician. A firm believer in living on someone else’s dime, Smith was one unique character who knew everyone and seemed to be at least five feet ahead of everyone.
Edited by Paola Igliori, who I feel by reading this book had one knowledge of Smith, but had to learn that he’s a much more significant presence in the world. Interviews with Robert Frank, Moe Asch, Jordan Belson, Allen Ginsberg, Jonas Mekas, and others make this the essential one-stop that is everything that is Harry Smith.
Dare Wright is a remarkable photographer with an even more extraordinary life. Here I talk about Dare and her creation Lonely Doll.
Les Sewing Sisters will be doing an event on Saturday, December 10, 2022. There will be a reading of their lyrics and then a rare showing of their Hometour 2021. The show will take place at the Velaslavasay Panorama, which is an amazing location. Informatin here: Tickets and more information on Les Sewing Sisters' event